Japanese Fishing Boat Swept Away By Tsunami Found A Year Later Near Canada

By Laura Matthews | March 24 2012 9:53 AM

A large Japanese fishing boat that was swept away by the tsunami that hit Japan last year, was found floating near British Columbia in Canada. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit Japan last March, triggering the tsunami and a nuclear power plant meltdown.

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Jeff Olsson of Victoria's Joint rescue coordination center told The Associated Press that an airplane contracted by the government recently spotted the vessel, 50 foot long, about 160 miles west of Haida Gwaii. It is reportedly slowly drifting toward the shore.

It looks fairly sound and has rust streak from being out there for a year, Marc Proulx, the maritime coordinator of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Victoria, British Columbia, told CNN.

Proulx added that the boat has been drifting without anybody at the helm since March 11, 2011.

The Japan Coast Guard has identified the owner of the vessel after Canadian officials contacted them on Friday. The owner has provided the identification number on the ship's hull.

The boat was used for squid fishing.

Olsson told the AP that there's no environmental danger. However, a maritime warning has been issued because the vessel could be a navigational hazard for others in the area.

CNN reported that Canadian agencies are monitoring the ship for possible marine pollution, but there are no reports of leaks coming from the boat.